Road grading machine



Nov. 12, 1935. R. c. SHERMAN ROAD GRADI NG MACHINE Filed July 3, 1931.

3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR fax 6. SHEEMAM ATTORNEY N I I k IQIGIEG M P H WHI F JEWW H Nov. 12, 1935.

c. SHERMAN ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 515-7- liillillt 5,555,415-51- O y i llllll l wlll:

INVENTOR 8m. C. SHEEMHAI.

@W ATTORNEY NOV. 12, 1935. SHERMAN ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed July 3, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VENTOR SHEEMHN Em. C.

' BY 6m%m ATTORNEY Patented Nov; 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bay C. Sherman, Seattle, Wasln, assignor to Isaacson Ironworks Application July 3, 1931, Serial No. 548,585

, 2 Claims. (01. 37-144) tion to provide an improved type of machine ofthe abovecharacter, employing a. tractor of a crawler type as the motive and driving means,

18 and mounting a blade for grading and earth moving forwardly of the tractor by a supporting frame which is attached pivotally to the tractor frame in such manner as to permit vertical adjustment of its forward end for the raising or 20 lowering of the blade in accordance with-any requirement of the work being done.

It is also an object of the invention to pivotally mount the grading blade on its support in such manner as to permit its being easily and readily 25 adjusted to different angular positions relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle so as to make delivery at'either side of the machine, also to provide novel means for retaining the'blade rigidly at the different positions to which it may 80 be adjusted.

I Still another object of the invention is to provide novel, convenient and quick acting mechanism for raising and lowering the blade supporting frame; such mechanism including a hydraulic 35 cylinder with piston and pump and a simple and efiective means for controlling the delivery of a pressure medium by the pump to one or other sides of the piston to actuate it for raising or lowering the blade mounting frame.

40 Other objects of the invention reside in the ,novel details of construction and in the combination of parts embodied in the mechanism for raising .and lowering the frame and in the valve mechanism andits controls, as will hereinafter be 45 fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 50 in--' Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine embody-' ing mechanism made and assembled in accordance with the, present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, diagrammatically 55 illustrating the arrangement of the various levers,

blade.

' links and devices for controlling the operation of the pump and the valve which controls the actioirof the hydraulic cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine; the seat and platform being removed from the chassis for 5 better illustration of the control and driving devices.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail illustrating the manner of pivotally attaching the frame to the trac-, tor and the fixing of a brace or slide by which the blade is held at its adjusted positions.

Fig. 4a is a sectional detail taken on line ld-ltl in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view'of the hydraulic cylinder, the pump, and the pump driving and control devices, the valve and its controls, in this view being shown in neutral position. i

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the clutch yoke shifting connection.

Fig. '1 is a sectional view on the line'I-l in Fig. 5 showing the arrangement of the pump gears.

Figs. 8 and 9, respectively, are diagrammatic views illustrating the position of the control devices and the control valve of the cyllnder, first, for lowering, and second, for raising the grader Referring more in detail to the drawings- In a preferred form of construction, the grading or road working machine embodied by this invention, utilizes a. tractor of the crawler or selflaying track type. Such a tractor would include I an engine, or motor, of a suitable character having sufficient power to effectively and without difficulty carry on the work required of the mai.- 85

chine. The function of the engine would be in this instance not only to propel the vehicle, but also to actuate the mechanism provided for raising and lowering the grading blade, as occasion arises. 40 As shown best in Fig. 1, the tractor in its entirety is designated by reference character I, and it includes the usual frame or chassis 2, which mounts the engine, indicated at 3. At Op osite sides of the chassis are track mounting frames (5 4-4 and at the forward ends of these'frames .are trackmounting wheels 5. Mounted on the main 'framenr chassis 2, rearward of the track frames are the track driving sprockets 6. The traction belts or tracks 1--'l operate about the wheels 5 and 6 and, as here illustrated, are made up of pivotally joined shoes. The longitudinal runs of these tracks are mounted for travel on idler wheels 8 carried by the track frames.

In this constructionthe rear sprockets 8 are driven by geared connections with the engine shaft Ill through a suitable transmission mechanism, as at H, differential gearing of a suitable type of construction, including the differential shafts 9 on which the sprockets 6 are mounted.

The track frames 4-4, near their rearward ends-are supported or mounted upon the outer ends of a dead axle l5 which supports the rearward end portion of the vehicle frame, and the opposite end portions of this dead axle project beyond the frames suificiently that they serve as supports on which the blade mounting frame, presently described, is pivotally mounted.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a grading blade I 8 is pivotally mounted at a point midway of its ends by a pivot bolt l9, upon the forward end of a supporting frame. This frame is in the form of a yoke and it comprises opposite side beams 20-20 and a forwardly pointed base, or connecting beam 2| joining the side beams rigidly attheir forward ends. This yoke encloses the forward end and opposite sides of the tractor and the rearward ends of the side beams are pivotally mounted upon the opposite ends of the axle l5 so that the forward end of the blade mounting frame may swing upwardly or downwardly for raising or lowering the blade to best suit the work being done.

As shown in Fig. i, the beams 20-20 have bearing brackets 23 bolted to their inner sides at the rear ends, and these brackets contain bearings 24 which are rotatable on the ends of axle l5.

The blade i8 is straight from end to end and is of sufficient length that its ends will be beyond the longitudinal lines of the sides of the machine.

At the back side of the blade, centrally thereof,

is a flange 25 co-operating with a bearing block or plate 26 at the forward end of the blade mounting frame to receive the pivot bolt 19. Likewise, at the opposite ends of the blade are flanges 2'I2| to which the forward ends of brace beams 28-28 are pivotally attached by pivot bolts 29. These beams are in the form of inwardly facing channels, and they slidably overlie the beams 2il-29, and have apertures 3!) adapted to register with apertures 3| in beams 26 to receive locking pins 32, as a means of rigidly holding the beams and blade at any set position. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the blade may be adjusted to oppositely directed angular positions, to deliver to either side of the machine, and it is apparent that it would be adjusted and held at any desired position between those limits, simply by remov-,

ing the pins 32 and swinging the blade to the position desired; the adjustment then being retained by inserting the pins through the alined side beams 20-20 of the blade frame is an upwardly directed lever 35. These are connected, by braces or tie beams 36, with the forward ends of the beams 20 through Web plates 31. Mounted transversely of the machine frame at the rear end thereof and above the level of the tracks, is a rock shaft 40 rotatably mounted in bearings 4! fixed on a cross beam 42 rigidly fixed to the vehicle frame. Fixed to the opposite ends of shaft 40 are downwardly extended lever arms 43 pivotally connected at their ends by links 44 to the upper ends of the levers 35 Fixed to the central'portion of shaft 40 is a rearwardly extended rocker lever 46. A hydraulic cylinder 41 5 is pivotally supported in the vehicle frame below lever 46 and this contains a reciprocable piston 88 having a piston rod 49 connected by a pivot pin 50 at its upper end to the end of lever 46. The connections just described are such that recip- 10 rocal action of the piston will effect a rocking action of'shaft 40 and this, in turn, operates to raise or lower the blade according to the direction and extent of movement of the piston.

Movement of the piston is effected by the 15 pumping of a fluid pressure medium within the cylinder and this is under control of a pump 52 as illustrated in Figs. 5 and '7. The pump housing is attached to or formed as a part of the hydraulic cylinder and it comprises the inter- 20 meshing gears 55 and 56' rotatably fitted in the housing. A port 57 opens from the upper end of the cylinder into the pocket 58 above the meshing teeth of the gears, and a channel 59 leads from the pocket 60 below the meshing teeth into 5 the lower end of the cylinder; A back check ball valve 6| is contained in this channel, as seen in Fig. 5. The pump gear 56 revolves freely on an axis 62, while gear 55 is fixed on a driving shaft 65 which is connected through flexible joints 66 30 with a counter shaft 61 supported in the transmission housing 68 in alinement above the engine shaft. A gear 10 keyed on the end of the engine shaft drives a. gear 1| revolubly mounted on shaft 61 and formed with a clutch head 12 con- 35 taining clutch disks 13. A clutch collar 14 is slidable on the shaft 61 and carries clutch disks 15 intermeshing with disks l3 in such manner that when the disks are tightened together a driving connection is eifected between the engine shaft 0 and shaft 61 to drive the pump so as to effect a forcible delivery of pressure medium from the upper end of the cylinder into the lower end to. raise the piston.

The lowering of the piston is under control of 45 a rotary valve in a housing .8! fixed to the outer side of the hydraulic cylinder. This housing has channels 82 and 83 communicating respectively with upper and lower ends of the cylinder, and the valve plug has a by-pass channel 50 84 adapted, when the plug is rotated to a certain position, to provide a connection between channels 82 and 83 for by-passing the liquid medium from the lower into the upper end of the cylinder to permit lowering of the piston. 55

The valve plug has a lever 85 for rotating it,. and this is connected by a link 86 with a lever arm 81 on a rotatably mounted cross shaft 89. The shaft 89 is actuated by manipulation of a hand lever 90 pivotally mounted at its lower end 60 by pivot 9|, and connected by link 92 with a lever arm 93 fixed on the shaft. A spring actuated latch tooth 94 is slidably mounted on the hand lever and this engages at its lower end in a notch 95 of a fixed segment 96 to retain the lever in 55 what is known as neutral position. A grip lever 91 is mounted pivotally on the upper end of the lever 90 and connected with the latch tooth by a rod 98. Depression of the grip releases the tooth from its holding contact with the segment. 7

The driving clutch for the pump is set by movement of the hand lever 90 from neutral position rearwardly, and this is effected by reason of a connection shown .best in Fig. .6 wherein I00 designates a short lever arm fixed to cross shaft 75 89 and extended downwardly. A link or rod IN is connected at one end to the arm, as at I02. and at its other end is slidable through a hole I03 in the base fend of a yoke like link I04. A

stop I05 is fixed on rod IN to limit its forward sliding movement in the yoke and a coiled spring I06 bears against the yoke end and against a nut I01 on the end of the rod to yieldingly pull the yoke rearwardly with thezrod. At its forward end the link I04 connects withiaciutch shifting yoke I I0. This is pivotally suspended by a pivot I I I from a bracket I I2 fixed to the housing, or to any other convenient support. The yokeil II has a pin and slot connection as at H3 witlnthe clutch and the parts are so arranged that movement of the hand lever 90 rearwardly from neutral position rocks the cross shaft 89 and this, in turn, causes a forward swinging of the lever arm I and this causes the clutch to be set to thus complete the driving connection from the engine shaft I0 to the pump.

Assuming the parts to be so constructed and assembled, the operation would be as follows:

First assuming that the grader blade is fully lowered and that the piston 48 is at its lower limit in the hydraulic cylinder 41; when it is desired to elevate the grader blade the operator pulls the hand lever 90 rearwardly from neutral position, as to the position of Fig. 9, thus rotating the cross shaft 89 and, through the linkage shown, rotating the valve plug to a position closing the by-pass channels. ment, the clutch shifting rod IOI moves forwardly, its stop I engages yoke link I04 to shift yoke H0 and sets the clutch to start the pump. The pump then delivers fluid from the upper into the lower end of the cylinder and elevates the piston and this effects the raising of the grader blade. To stop the raising movement it is only' necessary to pull-the hand lever 90 back to neutral position. This movement releases the clutch, but the by-pass still remains closed, therefore the trapped liquid in the cylinder holds the piston against downward movement.

When it is desired to lower the blade,.the hand lever 90 is pushed forwardly, as in Fig. 8. This action rotates shaft 89 to swing the valve lever 85 rearwardly to open the by-pass channel 84 through the valve and thus permit liquid to flow from the lower into the upper end of the cylinder By the same move-v and the piston to be lowered accordingly. When the hand lever is pushed forwardly, it places the spring I01 under compression and therefore, when it is desired to'stop the lowering movement, it is only necessary to release the lever and 5 it is brought automatically back to neutral position by expansion of the spring. It is not required to drive the pump for a lowering operation, therefore the clutch is not set by this movement. l0 The present mechanism is relatively simple. It is effective and eflicient, readily responsive and easily controlled. There is a safety factor in that only for elevating the blade is power applied, and should the operator fail to release the drive after the parts have been fully elevated,

the liquid, will simply be cut off from the intake port by the piston passing over it. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a tractor including a frame structure and a driving motor, a dead axle 'mounted in the frame structure with its ends extended at opposite sides thereof, track frames pivotally mounted on said extended ends and tracks operable about said frames, a blade'mounting frame comprising opposite ide beams pivotally mounted at theirrearward ends on the extended ends of the dead axle, a ground working blade mounted by. the frame forwardly of the tractor, and means for sustaining-the-vertically movable end of the blade mounting frame at different operative positions.

2. In combination, a tractor including a main :5 frame, a dead axle mounted in the frame and having ends extended at opposite sides thereof, track frames mounted pivotally at their rearward ends on said extended ends, traction belts operable on said frames, a blade mountingframe 40 comprising opposite side portions pivotally mounted on the ends of the dead axle outside the track frames and extended forwardly of the traction,

and a beam connecting the forward ends of the said side beams across their front ends, a blade pivotally mounted on the cross beam and adjustable to different angular positions, and means on the main frame for raising and lowering the forward end of the blade mountingframe.

I RAY C. SHERMAN. 

